The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Monday, September 22, 2025, formally opened its annual Public Relations Officers’ (PRO) Workshop in Kano with a strong call on officers to embrace professionalism, innovation, and integrity in sustaining stakeholder trust and safeguarding the Service’s corporate image.
The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, represented by the Acting Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Enforcement, Inspection, and Investigation, Timi Bomodi, declared the workshop open at the Centre of Excellence, Twin Theatres, Bayero University, Kano.
Delivering the CGC’s keynote address, Bomodi stressed that Customs operates “at the confluence of revenue generation, trade facilitation, and national security,” where communication cannot be limited to announcements and ceremonies.
“Our actions may speak, but it is the voice of public relations that interprets, contextualises, and gives meaning to these actions. This workshop is not a routine exercise, but a strategic investment in the Service’s future,” he said.
With the theme “Beyond Masters of Ceremony: The Strategic Role of Public Relations Officers for Institutional Growth and Stakeholder Trust,” the CGC said the programme seeks to reposition PROs from being event announcers to central players in policy advocacy, reputation management, and stakeholder engagement.
He urged participants to master digital communication, artificial intelligence, and crisis management, warning that misinformation and technological disruptions demand sharper PR skills.
“The work of a PRO is not without challenges. You will face crises that test your judgment, criticism that questions your integrity, and moments where silence may seem safer than speaking. But it is in these moments that your professionalism is most needed,” he added.
The Customs-Bayero University partnership, he noted, represents a “bridge between scholarship and practice,” with the Service recognising public relations as a pillar of reform. He also welcomed students of the institution present at the opening session, describing their participation as an opportunity to blend academic learning with field realities.
Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, represented by his Director-General of Media, Sanusi Bature, praised the NCS for its contributions to revenue generation, trade facilitation, and national security. He urged PROs to balance technology with human values.
“Artificial intelligence, digital analytics, and social media engagement are new frontiers for PR professionals, but no technology can replace honesty, empathy, and responsibility in communication,” he said.
He also commended the Service’s National PRO, Assistant Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, for raising the benchmark of trust and transparency in Customs communications.
In his remarks, Vice Chancellor of Bayero University, Professor Haruna Musa, welcomed participants and reaffirmed the university’s readiness to support Customs through training and research.
Guest speakers, including the President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Ike Neliaku, and former Vice Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria, Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu, emphasised the importance of strategic communication and the responsible use of social media for transparency, accountability, and institutional credibility.
The four-day workshop is expected to sharpen officers’ communication skills, strengthen stakeholder engagement, and further project the NCS as a modern, reform-driven institution.
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